Handpicked experience · Venice
Venice, Italy
Two hours through Venice's two great civic and religious buildings with a guide and priority entry, weighted far more towards the palace than the church.
Go on a guided tour of two of Venice's historical and political landmarks.
Start with a tour of Doge's Palace - the seat of Venetian politics and power, where the Duke and his council used to run the city
Explore the stunning Golden Basilica, a masterpiece of Byzantine art and architecture.
Get a good look at Pala d'Oro and the Treasury - where religious artifacts collected from all over the world are stored.
Priority entry to both the Doge's Palace and St Mark's Basilica
A guided route through the palace state rooms and across the Bridge of Sighs
The gold mosaics and inlaid marble floors of the basilica
The Pala d'Oro, the Byzantine altarpiece behind the high altar
This catches almost everyone out. Inside the Doge's Palace the route takes you through the bridge itself, from the courtrooms to the prisons, and the only view is the one the condemned had: two small stone lattices looking out at the water. The famous exterior shot everybody wants is taken from a different bridge outside on the waterfront, so plan to go and stand there separately afterwards.
Rucksacks and larger bags are refused entry, and there is a free left-luggage point a short walk away where they must go first. Turning up loaded with one at the appointed hour is the fastest way to lose your place, so travel light or arrive early enough to make that detour before the group assembles.
The basilica is an active church and its dress rule is enforced at the door rather than politely suggested inside. Visitors are turned away daily in summer. A light scarf in a bag is enough to solve it for anyone in a vest or shorts.
Between late autumn and midwinter high water regularly covers the square, and the basilica's entrance sits at the lowest point in the city. Raised walkways go down and access can pause for hours. If you are visiting in those months, keep the day flexible.
Open it to pick a date and work out the price.
What the fare covers, and what to budget for separately.
The practical detail, and the answers people actually ask for.
No. The route crosses it internally, between the courtrooms and the prisons, where the only view is through small stone lattices. The classic exterior photograph is taken from a bridge on the waterfront, which you can visit separately.
Not into the basilica. Larger bags must be left at a free left-luggage point a short walk away beforehand. Arriving with one at meeting time risks missing your entry.
Shoulders and knees covered, for everyone. This is an active church and the rule is applied at the door. A scarf in your bag covers you if you are dressed for the heat.
Not in the basilica, where photography is prohibited. The palace is more relaxed, though flash is discouraged in the painted halls.
It is the seasonal high water that floods the square, most often from late autumn to midwinter. The basilica entrance is at the lowest point in Venice, so access can be suspended for a few hours at a time.